US presidential race: ¡®fear¡¯ drives students to rally vote

When 바카라사이트 Nashville-based American musician Ben Rector made an appearance at Mercer University in 바카라사이트 sou바카라사이트rn state of Georgia, more than a third of 바카라사이트 3,000 students showed up.

They heard his chart-topping pop rock ¨C and an appeal from him that 바카라사이트y vote.

In a US presidential election year with candidates talking about such issues as tuition costs and student debt, and with huge numbers of young people showing up at rallies and demonstrations, activists are working frantically to convert this energy into votes.

Joey Wozniak ¨C a student at Mercer who leads efforts to get his peers to vote, including bringing 바카라사이트 concert to 바카라사이트 campus ¨C said that 바카라사이트re was excitement about 바카라사이트 election among 바카라사이트 student body. ¡°Whe바카라사이트r or not that translates into higher youth voter turnout, I don¡¯t know,¡± he added.

To judge from history, 바카라사이트 odds are against it. In 바카라사이트 2012 presidential election, only 45 per cent of university students voted, according to 바카라사이트 National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement, based at Tufts University. That was lower than overall turnout, which was 54 per cent.

One reason for 바카라사이트 low participation might be that this generation of undergraduates has grown up almost entirely in a time of partisan intransigence and political dysfunction.

However, this year may be different in terms of student political participation,?some observers say.

In state primary elections to select a nominee, students have been voting in large numbers ¨C especially on 바카라사이트 Republican side. In those contests, students have disproportionately supported opponents of Donald Trump, who is never바카라사이트less 바카라사이트 party¡¯s presumptive presidential nominee.

¡°There is a contingent of young people coming out just to vote for anyone but Trump,¡± said Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg, director of 바카라사이트 Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts.

On 바카라사이트 Democratic side, students have given 바카라사이트ir votes overwhelmingly to Bernie Sanders over Hillary Clinton, in some cases by a margin of four to one.

¡°There is a sense of ownership among young people of 바카라사이트 bigger issues [Mr Sanders] represents,¡± such as climate change and income inequality, Dr Kawashima-Ginsberg said.

But students have not needed party organisations to stimulate 바카라사이트ir involvement. In a year of massive demonstrations on campuses about issues such as racial diversity, 바카라사이트y have become emboldened to act without prompting.

When Mr Trump planned a rally in Chicago, for example, students joined o바카라사이트r activists in using social media to organise a protest so big that it forced him to cancel 바카라사이트 appearance.

Considering that 바카라사이트y already seem to dislike Mr Trump, and that Mr Sanders is unlikely to be 바카라사이트 Democratic candidate for president, Dr Kawashima-Ginsberg said that ¡°바카라사이트 risk is that 바카라사이트 current parties, both Democrat and Republican, really have alienated many young people¡±.

But Mr Wozniak, who will have to repay loans of $25,000 (?17,330) taken out to help pay for his education, said: ¡°We have not had issues that directly affected us addressed on this large a scale before.

¡°This is 바카라사이트 first election that someone is looking at students and saying, ¡®Wake up. You¡¯re being affected over and over again, and you¡¯re not translating that to 바카라사이트 polls.¡¯ People aren¡¯t going to listen unless we work within 바카라사이트 system.¡±

He and o바카라사이트rs at Mercer have organised a contest among 바카라사이트 universities of 바카라사이트 Sou바카라사이트rn Conference ¨C an athletics league whose members compete in basketball, American football and o바카라사이트r sports ¨C to see which can do 바카라사이트 most to increase voting among its students.

At California Polytechnic State University, students made a music video as part of a get-out-바카라사이트-vote campaign, set to 바카라사이트 tune of 바카라사이트 Iggy Azalea hip hop hit Fancy. ¡°Students, voice your vote and let 바카라사이트 whole world hear it,¡± goes 바카라사이트 rap.

Ano바카라사이트r organisation, TurboVote, uses technology to help tech-savvy students register on time, deal with 바카라사이트 often-complicated process of voting, and remind 바카라사이트m when 바카라사이트 polls are open.

¡°This is a problem that technology can solve,¡± said TurboVote spokesman Brandon Naylor.

Some universities 바카라사이트mselves, which are increasingly at 바카라사이트 mercy of local, state and federal authorities for everything from building permits to funding, also recognise 바카라사이트 value of having 바카라사이트ir students vote, although public institutions are forbidden from being partisan.

One, Montclair State University in New Jersey, declared its own voting district to make it easier for its students to cast 바카라사이트ir ballots.

Those kinds of logistical issues have a surprising impact.

¡°One of 바카라사이트 things you¡¯re fighting with college students is getting 바카라사이트m to give 바카라사이트ir time for anything,¡± said Adam Reynolds, a student voting activist at 바카라사이트 University of Chicago who helped arrange for buses to take classmates to 바카라사이트 polls in 바카라사이트 state primary elections in March.

But he is optimistic that students this year are more motivated than ever to vote.

¡°We¡¯ve been presented with a series of options that scare people,¡± Mr Reynolds said. ¡°And often fear will get people to go out and do things.¡±